Book Written by L.W. Clark
The fact that this is based on real events makes this book so much better. I loved how Alyssa was not someone that had the perfect time getting to America. I think that it is super important that the author showed her emotions and how her depression would take over sometimes. It added a realistic quality to the book that helped me relate to the main character. When she was betrayed by her friend and left to her own devices to get to America, it showed how hard it was to get into a new country without a shining personality.
Watching her learn English was also interesting as it is a point of view that I would not have thought of as someone that is a native English speaker. Going through her time as an immigrant trying to make a better life for herself and her family had me rooting for her and wanting to see her get into a better situation than she was when she worked on Long Island. Gilles was the perfect man for her and was there for her when she needed him. Personally, I would have not stayed married to him for as long as she was. I would want him to be with the person he loves instead of being stuck with a woman that he loved less.
I loved that there was also a focus on LGBTQ talk during the early 2000s and how even though no one else would have accepted Gilles and Mark, Alyssa only focused on her love for Gilles as a bisexual man. Alyssa as a character was a tad naive, but that also added to the amount that she was able to learn throughout her journey.
Written by Christina Gizzi
Christina Reads 